Chris began playing the guitar at age nine and had some excellent teachers early on who showed him the basics of improvisation and theory. Before college he played in a variety of rock and blues bands that drew most of their repertoire from Cream, Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and West Coast groups like Neil Young, Hot Tuna and The Doors. After college, Chris played in a series of rock and alternative groups, and started to hone his songwriting and arranging skills. Chris is currently performing and recording with the Anodyne Blues Band. A natural blues player, he counts Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Howlin’ Wolf, Johnny Winter, Blind Willie McTell and Freddie King among his favorites.

Chris’ lead guitar playing pays special attention to phrasing and melodic structure. He gets a strong sound using Gibson, Fender and Martin guitars, tube amps and analogue effects. People have compared his style to Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, John McLaughlin and others including Robert Fripp, Television, Duane Allman and Keith Richards. Away from the guitar, he also greatly admires Levon Helm, Etta James, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Claude Debussy, and a host of others including the conductor Mariss Jansons and pianist Richard Goode.

anodynebluesband.com
www.myspace.com/cargoculteband

Samples (".mp3" format) of Chris' playing styles are listed below:

• Saturday Afternoon (alternative excerpt)
• Miami Blues (electric blues)
• Mississippi Medley (accoustic blues)

Chris’ versatile songwriting exposes his many influences. The key element is his use of large scale hooks and melodic phrases – memorable riffs, strong melodies, inventive chord progressions and a rhythmic drive and creativity that keeps everything fresh. Recent recordings of his songs include EPs with the Anodyne Blues Band in 2008 and Cargo Culte in 2006.